


Beauty and the Beast

by leonheart2012



Category: Blush Blush (Video Game)
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Boys Kissing, M/M, fairytales - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 02:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18730243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: As the title would suggest, this is an unconventional take on the 'Beauty and the Beast' tale, involving a grandfather telling his granddaughter a bedtime story with the brave prince Kelby and the magically cursed wolf prince Volks. Will they be able to break the curse with true love's kiss?





	Beauty and the Beast

 

Our story starts, as every story does, with our hero, Kelby, battling his way through rough terrain and harsh weather to reach his prize. And what is his prize? Why, none other than what lies at the heart of the cursed castle at Alvanon. For, legend has it, there is a beautiful princess turned savage beast who now rules the land, and only true love’s kiss can break the curse…

 

“How much further through this ghastly ruin of a township? I’ve been travelling for days out here.” Kelby sighs. “I wish there were a way to get there faster.” He hacks at another vine curling across his path. “Is anybody here?” He calls, but silence is his only answer.

Pulling his cloak tighter around him, he pushes onward, further toward the castle. Just as night is falling, he reaches his destination. He collapses into an old armchair, but is startled out of it when it gives a surprised squeak.

“Who are you?” The chair asks, and our brave hero...faints? No, no, that can’t be right. He’s a brave hero, Kinsha. A brave hero wouldn’t _faint._ Let’s get this back on track.

There is the crash of thunder outside as the narrator clears his throat. Right.

“Who are you?” The chair asks.

While surprised, the hero keeps his wits about him. “My name is Kelby. I am a prince from a far off kingdom, and I am here to free the princess from her curse.”

“Princess?” The chair asks. “This kingdom had only one royal child, and that was a son -” Wait, what? A _son_? Kinsha, this _cannot_ be how the story goes! It must be a princess.

Why? Because it’s _always_ been a princess. It’s just how these stories go! The prince, brave, loyal and pure of heart, rescues the damsel in distress, and they live happily ever after. You can’t mess with the system! It exists for a reason.

Well, for one, two _men_ can’t produce an heir.

What! But then...who would inherit the kingdom?

No, no, no. It must be a princess.

Oh, alright. If it will make you happy.

A gust of wind rushes through the broken remnants of the castle. “A prince? Well, it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting, but I will still do all I can to lift this curse. Please, where is he?”

“Follow me.” The chair wobbles away, making slow progress through the castle. Finally, they get to the base of some stairs. “Up there. His father, when he saw the changes that were occurring, locked him away so he wouldn’t harm any of his subjects. Be careful. He hasn’t eaten for a great many nights.”

“Then perhaps I should bring him gifts of food?” Prince Kelby muses, and leaves the castle grounds in search of game to hunt and bring back to the hungry prince.

See? It doesn’t work. It should be a princess.

Oh, whatever. There is a creaking as the narrator closes the book, continuing on with nothing but his imagination, despite the protests emanating from the bed beside him.

 

When he returns, he carries with him a great haul of two deer and five squirrels. Taking a deep breath, he makes his way up the tower, dragging his game behind him, getting closer and closer to his quarry.

Finally, he reaches a great wooden door reinforced with iron bars. He knocks and hears a low growl in response. Cautiously, he turns the key in the lock, only for the muzzle of a great be- what? A wolf? But...oh, alright. For the muzzle of a great wolf to poke through the gap, snarling and snapping.

“Peace,” Kelby says, desperately trying to hold the monster at bay. “I come bearing game, but you may only have it if you stand down, prince.”

“Prince?” A voice growls from the other side. “None have called me that in a great long while. Who calls me thus?”

“My name is prince Kelby. I have come from-”

“Silence! I have heard enough! You may enter. I shall not attack.”

Shaking slightly from the shock, Kelby opens the door slowly, the creak loud enough to wake the dead. In the centre of a ruined room lies a gigantic wolf, night-black and vicious.

Kelby holds out the first of his squirrels. The wolf opens its mouth, and Kelby tosses the squirrel to him. It gets snatched from the air, and swallowed down with barely any chewing.

“What is your name, prince? I did not hear it from anyone on my way here.”

Well, it seems you’ve thoroughly taken over this story, Kinsha. What shall his name be?

“My name is Volks. Have you come to take over my kingdom, prince Kelby?”

“No, I wished only to free it from this curse. I thought I would find a princess, but a prince...well, we can still lift the curse. Would you be willing to work with me to lift it?”

“Why should I trust you?” He asks, narrowing his great yellow eyes at our brave hero.

“I...suppose it may take time, but I assure you, my intentions are pure.”

The wolf growls deep in his throat. “Perhaps. Leave the game, and the door open. Wait in my library while I eat. I shall meet you there.”

Kelby does as he is asked, wanting to stay on the beast’s good side, and makes his way through the rooms of the castle until he finds a broken and sodden library. A few minutes later, he is joined by the prince Volks.

“Light a fire. I will not be the one to keep you warm tonight, and if you do indeed intend to break this curse, it will be easier if you have not died of cold.”

With that, he curls up against one wall of the room and watches lazily as Kelby gathers firewood and lights a fire.

“You are resourceful. This is a good skill to have, prince Kelby. Tomorrow, we shall work on earning my trust. For now, we sleep.”

 

The next day, Volks enlists Kelby’s help in fetching a crystal from a nearby cave. In the cave, they battle a giant troll, which Kelby slays with a stroke of his broadsword.

“You have earned my respect, Kelby. You are truly a brave warrior. You are one step closer to helping me lift this curse. Go to the kitchens and ask them to make you a meal of the finest ingredients this realm has to offer.”

Kelby does as he is asked, only to find that he must gather the ingredients. He packs his things and sets out on his new quest.

He battles all manner of beasts and gathers herbs and creatures from all four corners of the wolf’s kingdom.

When he has finally returned, weeks have passed, and the wolf is nowhere to be found.

“He has gotten tangled in the vines of the forest. He was not aware of how big he had become, and is stuck. You must help him, prince!”

Alarmed, prince Kelby drops the ingredients and races off to where the furniture of the castle told him he was last seen. He sees the prince Volks ahead, tangled in vines just as the furniture had said. He rushes to Volks’ aid.

“My prince, I will have you out immediately.” He says, hacking ceaselessly at the vines, gradually freeing him from the thicket. As they walk back, he notices that the great wolf is limping. “Have you hurt yourself?”

“I will be fine, Kelby. Just lead the way home.”

He collapses on the floor of the library, his chest heaving. “My prince, you are truly hurt. Please, let me look. I may be able to-”

“Leave me be! I...I will be fine.”

Worried, but also wary, Kelby goes about gathering firewood and hunting for more game. As he is bringing it back to the prince, he sees a pond floating with lotus flowers. Remembering that lotus can be used as a sleeping aid, he gathers some of the seeds and stuffs them into the stomach of one of the squirrels he caught.

He presents his kill to the prince, the one stuffed with seeds in the middle of the pile. The wolf, trusting the prince Kelby, eats his meal with no suspicions. Soon, he is in a deep slumber.

“Volks?” Kelby asks gently, rubbing at the fur on his shoulder. When no response comes, he looks over Volks’ injured paw. One of the vines had slashed through the fur and tough skin, all the way down to the bone. The muscles are red and pulsing.

“It must have hurt so much even to stand, my prince.” He whispers, gathering healing plants and creating a salve to apply to the affected area.

As he smooths the salve over the injury, however, Volks wakes and howls with the pain.

“Kelby? How could you! I trusted you!” He cries, lifting himself to his feet and bounding away from the castle.

Distraught, Kelby sits and waits for Volks to return, sure that his anger would abate with time. Surely he would realise that he was just trying to help?

After days without Volks’ return, Kelby grows concerned. He follows the tracks Volks left on the ground, and finds him at the edge of a great swamp.

“Volks?”

The wolf sighs. “I...I am dying, Kelby. The pain...”

Kelby looks the wolf over, and sees that the wound on Volks’ leg is festering and growing rot. “Oh, Volks. I am so sorry. I...I shouldn’t have...I’m so sorry.” He falls to his knees beside Volks and caresses his face in his hands, tears falling from his eyes as he mourns the loss of his dear friend.

Volks licks Kelby’s face, taking the tears away. “Cry not. You expected a princess, and instead found a proud, head-strong prince. I am sorry I couldn’t be what you wanted me to be, friend.”

“But...the curse. We still might be able to lift it.”

“How?”

Yes, yes, Kinsha. Wait for the story to get there, child.

“A true love’s kiss.”

“But...”

“Volks, do you not love me? I know that I...despite everything, I care for you very deeply. I love you, Volks.”

With newfound hope, Volks looks up at Kelby with his great yellow eyes. “I suppose it is worth a try.”

Pursing his lips, Kelby kisses Volks’ muzzle, wishing with all his might for Volks to be returned to his human state. Fur remains under his fingers. Desperately, he kisses Volks again, over the top of his nose, lips tingling with the cold wetness. Still, the body underneath him, above him, around him, is that of a wolf. He tries again, and again.

“Kelby, enough. My fate is...I am to die here. But don’t worry. I...I love you, and so I will stay with you, wherever you go.”

“No. I am not ready to let you go. I will not.” He wraps his arms around the great wolf’s neck and cries into his silken fur. The breath that comes from Volks is becoming soft. Turning his head, Kelby kisses Volks one final time.

The prince’s body starts to shrink, forming arms and legs, hands and feet where there were only paws before. The prince’s arms come to wrap around Kelby, holding him as he cries.

“You did it, Kelby. I’m human again.”

Then, they hear the loud thump of Volks’ tail wagging happily, and they laugh.

“Well, mostly.”

 

“Alright, now. That’s the end of the story.”

“But you didn’t say ‘happily ever after’, grandpa! It’s not over until you say ‘happily ever after’!”

He sighs and puts the nightlight down to its lowest setting. “Some stories don’t end with a ‘happily ever after’, Kinsha.” He kisses her brow. “Go to sleep, now. Maybe you can dream them a 'happily ever after'.”

“Alright, grandpa.” She snuggles under her blankets. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”


End file.
